Using Public Education to Build Resilience and Community Empowerment

After decades of war, genocide and political instability, Cambodia appears to be making its way toward recovery and renewal. New roads and construction decorating the cities has mushroomed, giving the appearance of westernized progress. Cities are flush with luxury villas and Lexus SUV’s, yet such outward signs of progress hide an inconvenient truth of excess, corruption and opportunity for only a select few.

Nowhere is this more apparent that in rural Cambodia where people continue to live in dire poverty without hope of a healthy present let alone a quality future for their children. Given scars from the past and violent abuses of power and authority in the present, Cambodians feel powerless to even try for change. They live in fear of abuse and injustice, adopting behaviors of resignation, self-destruction and powerlessness.

Without knowledge of how they might change themselves, there can be no view of a different future for their families, their community or society as a whole. Problems with alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and sexual behaviors often worsen their plight. Consequences of these habits negatively impact their health and livelihood. Pregnant women and teenage girls face special challenges more difficult to overcome due to cultural constraints. Also, ineffective and inefficient agricultural practices require innovation and teaching of new techniques in order to better help secure these families’ futures.

Our program will develop targeted community education programs via radio broadcasts and special teaching forums that strengthen individual resilience and facilitate community empowerment. Individual resilience education will be based on public health promotion literature, cognitive-behavioral psychology, and the extensive cultural experiences of key consultants. Community empowerment efforts will be based on effective strategies undertaken by other development organizations and tested models for influencing group and community change.

As follow up to public education radio broadcasts and to further community empowerment, we will hold recurring meetings of students and parents in order to solicit ideas and identify in a democratic pattern the roles for parents, children, teachers, students, as well as relationships between employers and employees. By example, our program’s administration will also demonstrate good governance and transparency.

Please contribute what you are able to these important grassroots efforts for strengthening needy Cambodians and empowering communities to stand up for themselves. Any donations are greatly appreciated by the communities we work with so they can learn to expand the range of skills used to help themselves and teach subsequent generations to become healthy and self-sufficient. Finally, please consider that your valued donations will be matched at an additional 50% rate by our agreement with other institutional funders.

During the last ten years, Mrs. Lar Mundstock volunteered in Cambodia with different organizations, including: Sambokkhmum radio, Neutral and Impartial Committee for free and fair Election in Cambodia (NICFEC), and Women for Prosperity (WFP). She also participated as an international election observer. She will lead CDF organizational efforts and has a proven ability to build competent project teams that deliver effective results.

Ulla- POEM: YOU DESERVE THE BEST-
This life is yours
Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well
Think of others spread your joy
Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly
Take the power to walk in the forest and be part of nature
Take the power to run your own life. No one else can do it for you
You deserve the best.
Take the power to make you life healthy, exciting; worthwhile and very happy
Take the power to reach for your dreams.